As Congressional review of what happened on the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump has gotten underway, it is imperative that state and local law enforcement are offered a state-level forum to discuss what happened and what can be done better from their point of view.
This resolution would form a purely bipartisan Select Committee on the Trump Assassination Attempt, made up of three Republicans and three Democrats, to probe what happened on July 13th by giving state and local law enforcement a platform to describe what happened from their perspective. It will also offer policymakers ideas about how to improve state and local law enforcement practices, especially as they coordinate with federal law enforcement agencies, as Pennsylvania will remain the epicenter of political and cultural events in the coming years.
What happened on July 13th is an undeniable tragedy. One Pennsylvanian was killed shielding his family from the errant bullets of a would-be assassin. Two more were critically injured.
From the perspective of the head of the U.S. Secret Service, the day represented the “most significant operational failure at the Secret Service in decades.”
But there were also stories of heroism, patriotism, and citizens and law enforcement officers doing the right things in the right way. From what we know, state and local law enforcement responded with bravery and professionalism while keeping Pennsylvanians and high-profile individuals safe during a chaotic time.
These frontline heroes should not be pushed to the sideline or under the bus in how this story is told. They deserve the ability to have a more nuanced forum where they can present their story, their perspective, and their expertise in explaining what happened and how it can be prevented from happening again.
And the latter part of that is imperative as we look toward the future.
Pennsylvania is and will remain a political battleground state throughout the course of the 2024 election cycle and well into the future.
Our electoral votes are some of the most coveted among Presidential contenders and, as such, it is obvious that July 13th will not be the last time a Presidential candidate will be campaigning within the borders of the Commonwealth.
Also, as we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, Pennsylvania will be the home of many major celebrations commemorating that event, including major sporting events like the World Cup, the MLB All Star Game, the NFL draft, and the PGA Championship.
Combined, all of this means that it is not the last time state and local law enforcement, and other first responders, will have to coordinate with federal law enforcement partners to keep civilians and high-profile individuals safe from harm.
This committee will not look to assign blame but will inform Pennsylvania policymakers about what we can do to provide law enforcement and first responders with the tools they need to meet or create best practices that ensure the type of tragedy that happened on July 13th is not repeated.
Not only does this take an incomplete view of what federal investigators are looking at, but it is very on brand for Democrats to want to deny front-line law enforcement officers a voice and hear from their perspective.
While the Pennsylvania House of Representatives is not due back in session until the end of September, I would hate to think this commonsense imperative would go unmoved because of House Democrats in Pennsylvania no longer having a numeric majority in our chamber after two of their members just resigned.
The bottom line here is politics should not get in the way of looking into this serious matter and giving state and local law enforcement a voice.
Congress has seen the urgency in beginning a review of what happened and how to prevent it in the future.
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives should join them.
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